Answers to commonly asked questions

-Firm Overview

What types of services do you offer?

We provide financial planning services, including retirement planning, with cash flow analysis, tax planning and strategies to help you manage your tax burden, as well as estate planning and trust services, offered through Raymond James Trust. In addition, we deliver customized investment management and ongoing advice on investments, including those assets that remain outside of your Raymond James accounts (e.g. your company 401k). For business owners, we also offer sophisticated company retirement plans, including but not limited to 401k and profit-sharing plans, Uni-k, SIMPLE IRAS, SEPs, and Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation. We are able to provide analysis and solutions relating to your life and long term care insurance needs. Lastly, we offer services to cover all of your banking needs, from checking/savings, money market and CDs, various credit cards, as well as custom lending strategies including unique mortgage solutions and securities-based lending.

We can provide as comprehensive of a financial experience as you wish, so you can focus on what matters most to you.

Who is your typical client?

The families we provide wealth management services comprise a diverse group of successful professionals from various fields and backgrounds such as engineering, health sciences and services, technology, law, and construction. We also provide services to multigenerational clients, serving their trust needs.

Describe your investment firm and explain the Steward Partnership?

We are able to deliver a unique solution to families through our firm by providing the combination of a boutique, personal touch experience, while still offering the world class resources of a global firm.

Raymond James was founded in 1962, by Bob James. Today, Raymond James Financial has more than 7,900 Financial Advisors located in more than 3,000 locations worldwide, with more than $750 billion in client assets. The firm has enjoyed 122 quarters of consecutive profitability, more than 30 years. Raymond James Financial was also one of the few investment firms during the 2008 financial crisis to remain profitable and NOT require tax payer assistance from the U.S. government.

Steward Partners Global Advisory is an employee-owned, full-service independent partnership, catering to family, institutional and multigenerational investors. Based in Washington, D.C., the partnership was created in 2013 and currently consists of 100 Financial Advisors with 16 offices ranging from New Hampshire down to Florida, as well as Texas.

In addition to our local families in the Mid-Atlantic region, we also work with individuals around the country. Technology allows us to leverage several tools which helps us seamlessly bridge the gap. As noted above, we maintain Steward offices up and down the east coast and more than 3,000 Raymond James offices worldwide, so meeting you in person is always an option.

-Investment Process

What is your investment approach?

We implement a “goals-based” investment approach. Simply meaning, we customize each strategy, using your goals as our guide, to provide a balance of risk versus reward with a combination of both active and passive investments.

Do you use no-load mutual funds or ETFs?

Yes. It is difficult to accurately predict year in and year out whether active strategies or passive strategies will be best suited, therefore we incorporate both actively managed mutual funds and passive ETFs to create a perfectly balanced hybrid portfolio.

Do you invest client assets into individual stocks and bonds?

Yes. In portfolios we design, we utilize individual stock and bonds based on each client's objectives and risk tolerance. For those clients with the risk capacity, we will invest in individual stocks to help add alpha to the portfolio. We use fundamental analysis to select those companies with the strongest balance sheets in their respective industry/sector in combination with Point and Figure technical analysis to determine buy and sell price points. Having an exit strategy when owning individual equities is critical in our opinion.

What is the process involved when moving my accounts?

Our team will handle all related transfer paperwork to move over your existing accounts. For your non- retirement accounts we will transfer assets “in-kind” or in other words, exactly as they are to help avoid potential tax consequences. We will work directly with your current firm, custodian, or former employer to ensure a smooth transition of your assets. Once your investment portfolio arrives, we will complete an accounting of assets to ensure all shares and cash are accounted for accurately.

-Client Service

Who will I work with at the Godfrey & Spradlin Group?

We believe every member of our team offers a unique set of skills that enables us to provide a team approach that will add up to 1+1 equaling 3. As a Godfrey & Spradlin client, you will have direct access to every member of our team and their individual expertise. Whether it is background, life experiences, or common interests, we understand that some of our families occasionally relate more to one member of our team than another. While we do work as a team in many situations, as we believe our clients benefit from the insights and perspectives of more than one seasoned financial advisor, you have discretion in who you work with and interact with regularly.

Does your group have an investment minimum?

Typically, the families we provide wealth management services to will have a portfolio of at least $500,000 in investable assets. Investable assets most commonly include current retirement plans, retirement accounts from previous employers, IRAs (traditional, rollover, Roth, SEP, inherited, SIMPLE), brokerage accounts, trusts, and cash or money market accounts.

How can I view my investment performance and holdings?

You may view your accounts and performance, in real time, on the Raymond James Client Access website or App.

How are you compensated?

We are compensated only by our clients. We have lived by the belief that our clients are our employers and have stood by the axiom of “our client's interest must always come first.” We do not receive additional compensation from any of outside investment manager or the investments we make, or from our custodians. We typically utilize an advisory agreement in which we collectively agree on a reasonable cost based on services provided and assets managed. As we have said, we customize most everything. As an example, if a client has a long term and/or concentrated position they never intend to sell, we will not charge a fee to simply hold assets.

What are your costs?

The Godfrey & Spradlin Group “advises” – not “sells”. We are traditionally compensated as a percent of the assets we manage on our clients' behalf. Our wealth management program encompasses both investment management and ongoing advisory services.

We also have the capability to charge an hourly rate for financial planning services. The per hour rate is considered custom pricing and dependent upon the complexity of your situation.

What is a fiduciary duty?

As a part of the registered investment advisor, Steward Partners Global Advisory, The Godfrey & Spradlin Group has a fiduciary obligation and responsibility to act for the sole benefit and interest of our families. This is the highest act of loyalty, trust and care as established by law.

Raymond James Financial Advisors may only conduct business with residents of the states and/or jurisdictions for which they are properly registered. Therefore, a response to a request for information may be delayed. Please note that not all of the investments and services mentioned are available in every state. Investors outside of the United States are subject to securities and tax regulations within their applicable jurisdictions that are not addressed on this site. Contact your local Raymond James office for information and availability.Links are being provided for information purposes only. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize or sponsor any of the listed websites or their respective sponsors. Raymond James is not responsible for the content of any website or the collection or use of information regarding any website's users and/or members.